How to track a flower through summer

It’s always an exciting time of year, when those first buds of colour pop up from the ground. Make the joy last by following a flower’s journey through summer using a series of sketches.

Not only will you discover more about your local nature, you’ll end up with a wonderful artwork you can display in your home. It’s best to choose a flower in a place you have access to on a regular basis; a local meadow or woodland area is ideal, but your own garden can work, too.

You Will Need

Pencil

A5 sketchpad

Colouring pencils

Step 1

Choose a flower you wish to sketch. Cow parsley, which flowers between April and June, is a good choice as it’s commonly found along roadsides and in fields and meadows. Try to catch your flower at its earliest stage, when it’s just beginning to shoot up.

Step 2

Sketch your flower using a pencil and then give it life with colouring pencils. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an artist – just create a simple sketch that reflects how the flower looks. Make a note of the date, time and anything interesting, such as nearby insects or fungi.

Step 3

Return to your flower a few days later, at the same time if possible. Once again, sketch your flower, making a note of any changes. Have buds appeared? Have they begun to open? Are there bees nearby? Look back at your first sketch to see the difference a week makes.

Step 4

Continue returning to sketch your flower every few days until it has reached the end of its life cycle. Once you’ve completed your sketches, you can cut them out of your sketchpad and frame them or use them as personalised cards for friends and loved ones.